Flexible rifle and shotgun cleaning shaft



V. G. MALESKY FLEXIBLE RIFLE AND SHOTGUN CLEANING SHAFT March 13, 1951 Filed Aug. 31, 1949 m &N &N %N

Victor G. Ma/eslry INVENTOR.

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Patenta& Mar. 13, 1951 UNITED STATS PATNT OFFICE RIFLE AND SHOTGUN` CLEANING SHAFT Victor G. Malesky, Dea'born, Mich. Application August 31, 1949, Serial No. 113,449

3 Claims; l

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in a exible rifie and shotgun cleaning shaft in which users will find their essential needs and requirements fully met, contained and eiiectively available.

some time ago I devised and perfected a semirigid cable, or so-called fiexible shaft, with suitably mounted adapters on opposite ends, to take the place of rigid rods and fiexible cords characterizing rifle and shotgun barrel cleaners in prior art constructions. The cleaner in question is the subject matter of an application for patent filed by me under the date of March 20, 1947, and identified as Serial Number ?35,896.

Reference being had to co-pending application '735,896, it will be seen that the cleaner in question has to do with a flexible shaft of such rigidity that when in use in the bore of the barrel, is substantially unyielding in an axial direction, straight from end to end, and such that it may be passed through and worked back and forth in the gun barrel and yet is sufliciently flexible in lateral directions, that it may be coiled and rolled, when not in use, into compact and convenient form for ready handling and easy carrying. Adapters are secured to opposite outer endsof the shaft, one adapter embodying a swivelly mounted screw threaded socket member to accommodate a brush or the like, said socket member connected to a rigid fitting which is secured permanently to the adjacent end of the shaft, said fitting having a ball jointing element swivelly connected with said socket member. There is a second adapter on the opposite end of the shaft, also swivelly mounted, the latter adapter being cylindrical in cross section and provided at its outward end with a screw threaded centrally disposed socket to accommodate a cleaning brush, and being eX- teriorly provided adjacent its inner swivelly mounted end with a circumferentally surrounding groove to accommodate a patch, if desired, to be tied on said adapter for practical cleaning use,

Since filing my original application, I have discovered the need for further refinements and improvements. In reducing to practice the construction embodyng my latest provisions I have retained herein the aforementioned semi-rigid push-pun shaft with swivelly mounted adapters on opposite ends of saidshaft, one adapter having an axial screw threaded socket member to accommodate a bore cleaning brush, the second adapter being a rigid longitudinally elongated link to accommodate and operate a cleaning patch (not shown). In addition, I now provide a third adapter which is freely slidable on the shaft be- 24 tween the first and second named swivelly attached adapters and said third adapter has a special sleeve at one end and an enlarged internally screw threaded socket member at the opposite end.

More specifically, novelty is predicated` upon the third or slidable adapter whose sleeve is of an internal diameter greater than the cross section of the stated link, whereby to permit the link to telescope completely into the sleeve, to allow the socket member to swivelly project beyond the link and to allow a brush to be screwed and heldinto said socket member for cleaning a gun barrel.

More importantly, the stated third adapter carries a sleeve portion which is adapted to fit telescopically into the muzzleend of a rie barrel at which time the larger socket member constitutes a retaining shoulder and wherein said sleeve functions as a guide bushing for the fiexible shaft to prevent the latter from coming into scraping contact with and ruining the rifie lands.

Briefiy then, novelty in the instant subject matter is predicated upon the semi-rig-id pushpull shaft with distinguishably different swivelly mounted adapters on opposite ends and with the shaft slidable in the bushing in the manner shown in Figure 2. Then, too, novelty is predicated on the Converter-type slidable third adapter whose sleeve portion serves not only as the stated bushing but also as a receptacle and holder for the slotted link as shown in Figure 3 and wherein the screw threaded socket member projects to accommodate a larger type brush for cleaning a smooth bored gun barrel.

Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description of the accompanying illustrative drawings.

I n the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the views;

Figure 1 is a fragmentary View with parts in section and elevation showing a fiexible rifle and shotgun cleaning shaft constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a view showing a fragmentary portion of a rie barrel and illustrating how the slidable or Converter type adapter is, in this instance, used as a guide bushing for the reciprocable semirigid shaft; and,

Figure 3 is a view showing a fragmentary portion of a 'gun barrel and illustrating the manner in which the third adapter is slid to telescopically encompass the slotted link adapter and to make provisions for attachment of a gun cleaning brush.

Referring now to the drawings by distinguishng reference 'numerals and lead lines and with particular reference to Figure 1, the fiexible or semi-rigid push-pull shaft is denoted by the numeral 5 and is characterized by a central core wire 6 encased within a multiplicity of coiled wrappings l. I might explain in connection with this shaft that it embodies four wires which Wrap clockwise around the center core wire 6, four wires wrapped around the first named four in a counterclockwise direction, four more wires wrapped around the second wrappings in a clockwise direction, four wires wrapped around the third wrappings in a counterclockwise direction. This is what may be Conveniently calleda speedometer cable and is quite adequate to perform the functions of my desired fiexible shaft. The latter, though of sufiicent rigidity, is such that it may be Conveniently used in the field at all times due to the fact that it is not bulky and can be coiled or rolled to a coiled form (as illustrated in the drawings in serial Number 735396). The shaft is rigid enough that it is substantially unyielding in an axial direction and may be pushed through the muzzle end of a rifie or shotgun barrel and then pulled through from the muzzle end, thus cleaning all rifies and shot guns from the breech chamber, whereby not to push the burnt powders orother fine matter into the mechanism of the firearm or the Cartridge chamber. On the other hand, it is laterally flexible and may, as stated, be rolled or coiled into compact carrying form. Rigid fittings 9 and 8 respectively are permanently secured to the ball jointing heads or elements I and l l respectively. The adapter at the left is denoted by the numeral 12 and comprises a cylindrical body whose inner end is fashioned at 13 and swivelly connected to the ball jointing head lil. The outward end of the body is recessed and screw threaded to provide a socket member I which in practice, serves to accommodate the brush !5 (see Figure 2) for cleaning the bore I6 of a rifie barrel l'l.

The other adapter, the second one, is denoted by the number !8 and is fashioned at [9 and swivelly connected to the ball jointing element 'l I. This adapter is in the form of a slotted rigid link and is adapted to accommodate a cloth or equivalent patch for cleaning purposes.

I may state in connection with adapters !2 and 18 that they are primarily intended for use in cleaning rifie barrels. In Figure 2 I show the adapter 12 in use. In practice the adapter IS may be turned around, end for end so to speak, and Conveniently used in a gun barrel in the manner depicted in Figure 3.

Attention is now directed to the third and highly significant adapter unit ZI. This comprises a longitudinally bored sleeve one end of which is relatively small, as at 22, and which has an inturned lip 23 providing a stop shoulder.

The opposite end of the sleeve is enlarged in diameter, as at 24, and provides a socket member which is internally screwthreaded as at 25. It is also defined a stop shoulder on its exterior, as at 26.

This adapter ZI is convertible so that it functions on the one hand as shown in Figure 2, and on the other hand, as shown in Figure 3. The bore of the sleeve portion 22 is such in diameter as to form a receptacle and holder for the slotted link adapter 213, as shown in Figure 3. Said adapter 2! is at all times maintained on the shaft between the two adapters IZ and !8 and, therefore, cannot become lost or misplaced. In fact,

bushing and a guide for the flexible shaft.

by having all three adapters on the one cable or shaIt, all parts are constantly assembled and in readness Ior selective use.

In reierence to Figure 2 of the drawings here the smaller sleeve portion 22 is telescoped frotionally into the muzzle end of the barrel with the shoulder 26 abutting the muzzle and with the socket member projecting beyond the muzzle. When thus inserted the adapter constitutes a It allows the shaI't to be worked back and forth in the bore l with the brush !5 cleaning the bore and the rifling lands 21. at one end. with the bushing, said shaft may be worked back and 'orth without damaging the rine lands 27.

In Flgure 3 the sleeve portion 23 is slipped over the link adapter and the link adapter is thus housed within the sleeve and held assembled by r' such as may be used in cleaning the bore oi the gun barrel 29. II' one does not desire to use the brush, it is possible to attach a cloth patch to the slotted link Zu and then pull the link and patch into the adapter (not shown) to accomplsh with the patch what would otherwise be accomplished With the brush.

Reviewng the device it will be seen that the flexible shalt has perlnanently swvely mounted adapters on each end and the sliding adapters which may take any position in between the other two adapters, but which is preferably designed to serve as a' bushing as shown in Figure 2, on one hand, and the brush attaching purpose, as shown in Figure 3, on the other hand. All of the parts in con unction with each other form a complete appliance in which none of the parts may be lost or misplaced and in which all of the parts contribute their proportionate shares to the production of an overall satisfactory and practical assembly. Each permanent adapter is` constructed so that it will follow the riiing in the barrel while in the process of cleaning the firearm. The sliding adapter is to be used for shotgun brushes or swabs and the small end of the adapter is used, as stated, as a shaft guide or bushing. When placed in the muzzle of the rifie it will guide the shaft through the bore and said shaft will not cut the rifiing lands while being pulled through and thus cannot damage the latter.

A careful consideration of the foregoing description in conjunction with the invention as illustrated in the drawings will enable the reader to obtain a clear understanding and impression of the alleged features of merit and novelty sufficient to clarify the Construction of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Minor changes in shape, size, materials and rearrangement of parts may be resorted to in actual practice so long as no departure is made from the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A gun barrel cleaner which permits cleaning of the bore of a barrel from the chamber end of said barrel comprising a resilient pushpull shaft, said shaft being semi-rigid, substantially unyielding in an axial direction and approximately straight from end to end when in use and substantially laterally exible to be coiled,

By centerng the shaft &544347 when not in use, into a compact and convenient form for carrying, a rigid fitting Secured to one end of said shaft having a ball jointijng head, and an adaptrz'swivelly joined to said head, said adapter bei g a rigid slotted link toaccommodate and hold a cleaning patch. v ;z

2. A gun 'jbarrel cleaner whichpermits cleaning of the ngre of a barrel from thechamber end of said barrel comprising a resilient push-pun shaft, said fshaft being semi-rigidand substantially straight from end to end whn in use and flexible to be colled, hen not in use, into a c mpact and convenient for carrying, an ad ter swivelly mountedkon one end of ;id adapter embodyinga rigid longitted link to accommod ate a cleaning cond adapter slidably mounted on wardly of said first aggpter having a ts inner end an iitjrnally screw ket at its outer end opening in a direction toward said first-name adapter, said sleeve being of an internal diame greater than the crosssection of said link of a length greater than the length of the link, whereby to permit the link to telescope completely into the sleeve, to 'allow the socket membrj to project beyond the lirik and to allow a brush to be screwed and held in said socket member for cleaning a un barrel;

6 3. A gun barrel cleaner comprisinggja exible shaft terminating in a rigid fitting, an adapter swivelly mounted on said fitting, and a 'leeve fitting dyer and snugly enclosing said ada'pter, said sleeve aving an annular inturned ejd portion g a stop shoulder adapted to efngage the ada r to locate and position the sleeve over said adapt ei', and an internally screw-threaded socket member formed integral with the other end of said sleeve.

VICTOR. G. MALESKY.

REFERENCES CITED The :following references are of record in the file of this patent: r r

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date '1229,125 Whinery Spt. 12, 1905 8215198 Stocker May 22, 1906 1,061`,}119 P'pool May 6, 1913 1,499 160 Kennedy July 1, 1924 1,603,42 Colpe Oct. 19, 1926 2,058356 Ayer Oct. 27, 1936 23285973 Goldfisher Sept. '7, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date &62,664 France Dec. 16, 1940 

